The Good Part by Sophie Cousens
Narrator: Kerry Gilbert
Rating: 5 stars
Pub date: 11/7

Sometimes, a book comes along at the exact right time, and this was the case for me with The Good Part, by Sophie Cousens. Who knew that some of my favorite books this year would be time-travel stories?

Lucy, a 26-year-old navigating the trials of a lackluster job and disastrous dates, stumbles upon a curious wishing machine. When she wishes to skip to the good part of her life, she wakes up in her early 40s with a fulfilling career, a loving husband, and two adorable children. What follows is a witty, emotional, and relatable read that will stay with me for a long time.

This book is both enchanting and grounded in reality. As a forty-something, married mother of three, I sometimes wonder if this is the “good part” of my life. And I have to remember that, yes, it is! This is the life I wished and hoped for in my twenties, and I think it’s easy to lose sight of that on a bad day. This book was a beautiful, heartwarming reminder of that. Lucy’s experiences felt authentic and thought-provoking, offering a realistic portrayal of the trade-offs and growth that come with different stages of life.

The complexity of choices and whether we'd really want to skip over the difficult parts of life are at the heart of the story. I adored Lucy’s husband, Sam, Lucy’s children, and all the references to the future and the technological advances there. The romance is sweet, and while there are romantic elements present, this story is also about self-love, family, and friendships. Lucy's journey is one of self-discovery, and the growth of all the characters in the book is touching and heartfelt.

I was laughing, nodding in agreement, and even shedding a few tears throughout. If you've enjoyed movies like “The Family Man” and "13 Going On 30," you'll love this book, which takes those themes to a deeper level. The Good Part delivers a captivating, engaging story I highly recommend to anyone seeking a feel-good, thought-provoking read. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this on audio, and Kerry Gilbert did an outstanding job with the different accents and made me feel like I was a part of the story. Thank you so much, Putnam Books, for my ARC and PRH for my gifted ALC.

This was my first Sophie Cousens book, and I LOVED it. It was the perfect blend of heartwarming, hilarious, and wholesome.

I have ZERO bad things to say about this book. I quite literally laughed out loud so many times, and I genuinely liked every character, which almost never happens. The magic realism was in the vein of 13 Going on 30 or Big, and I loved the concept.

I was so sad that this book was over, I wanted more, so I’m definitely running to read the rest of her books!

Thank you to Sophie Cousens, Penguin Group Putnam, and NetGalley for this ARC!
Publication date 11/7/23

We've all been there, wishing away the season of life we're in and dreaming of the life we want. But, as the saying goes, be careful what you wish for! The Good Part brilliantly explores that old adage through the eyes of Lucy Young, who starts the book at age 26 and wakes up to find herself living her own life 16 years later. This was my first Sophie Cousens book, but it won't be my last.

This book was an absolute delight, and I can't wait for the world to read it in just a few weeks!

Thank you for the opportunity to read this book for my honest review.
I really enjoyed the book, the plot, the characters. I think that latter part of the book was harder to read the the beginning. It reminded me of the movies where teens switch time lines, Thirteen Going on 30, etc. Overall out was a good read.

3.5 stars
I understood Lucy's desire to skip to the good part of life. Her job, her living situation, and her love life at 26 are less than ideal. She finds a wishing machine (very reminiscent of the movie Big), and the next morning wakes up at 42 in a dream of a future life. Most of the book is spent as Lucy tries to navigate having jumped and not having memories, and how she feels like she's lost 16 years.
I loved the conversations between Lucy and her son, Felix, and watching her fall in love with her husband. She struggles with trying to find and even trying to decide if she wants to go back.
I don't know that I loved how it turned out, and I truly would have enjoyed a longer epilogue that got a little farther into things, but it was a good book and a nice story, and it was a bit different enough for me from the other ways this tropes has been done (many of which the author referenced in her acknowledgements).

Enjoyed the book! Great writing, plot and character building! It reminded of the movie 13 going on 30 but just the main character was a little older.
I will be reading more of her books!

***** I have received and read an advanced reader copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for giving my honest feedback. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.*****

The first quarter to third of the book was interesting, but after the "twist" I just couldn't really connect with the plot.

I think the book could have had another edit or two and had 10-15% of the length cut, but it's a cute book and a fairly fast read.

I'm not sure what expected, but I was kind of disappointed with what I got. It's not awful and it's super easy to read, but it just feels incomplete.

Wow. I am SUCH a fan of Sophie Cousens and she just keeps getting better and better. The Good Part is beautiful, sweet, poignant, FUNNY, tear jerking story about the struggle that is your late 20s and 30s, and why that struggle might be worth it.

Lucy is a struggling 26 year old who, after a series of unfortunate events, wishes to get to “the good part” of her life. She wakes up the next morning 16 years older with a family and a career that she could only dream of at 26.

To be honest, I couldn’t get enough of this book. I read it in a day and was so sad when it ended! I loved Lucy and adored her extremely relatable response to suddenly wake up nearly two decades in the future. And she had such a lovely family and friends! I think Cousens is just really good at writing characters who you’d like to hang out with.

There’s some romance in this book (and I loved it!) but the crux of the story is really Lucy’s journey of self discovery.

I’d recommend this to fans of Christina Lauren and Emily Henry. Five BIG stars!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc!

Lucy is a 26 year old who is fed up with barely getting by in life. When she wishes for 'the good part' the wish comes true and she find herself 16 years in her future. While this has some great reviews, I find myself in the minority and found this book frustrating and while I believe the author wants you to see Lucy as quirky and endearing, reminiscent of the time when we were young and carefree, I found her to be quite unlikeable. Maybe I am just jaded or not the intended audience of this book, with 2 children myself and while not quite 42, I am definitely no longer a young adult. Take that for what you will.

****spoilers****

Lucy is 26 when she time jumps. 26 is a fully fledged adult. She was living on her own (albeit with roommates), had a full time job, and while that transition out of college can be a challenge and sure her job sucked, she was doing it! When she finds herself in her 42 year old body, I didn't expect her to suddenly have the life experience of her 42 year old self but the level of naïveté and her absolutely ridiculous decision making made me feel like it would have been more appropriate coming from a young teen going into her adult self. I mean, who sees a c-section scar and their first reaction is to think someone made her a drug mule! And I just absolutely can't with her attempt at parenting. I get being clueless when it comes to suddenly raising two kids...but it was as if she had never even seen a child in her life.

Time travel tropes have been done time and time again and it's actually one of my favorite fantastical elements but there was no spin here to make this unique. I was regularly distracted trying to remember where I had heard this all before. On top of being reminded of every other time travel story I've heard, I think I was constantly reminded of an old episode of Quantam Leap where they realize that kids can see who they really are. BTW, Felix (her son who thinks she's an alien) was the best thing about this book.

While the above almost had me DNF this book multiple times, there were things that I appreciated about it. As mentioned, Felix was a great character. He's 7 years old and his wonder and exploration into thinking his mom was an alien felt so true. I just wanted to hug him. I actually enjoyed the spin on second chance romance here. While I think it could have been a little more robust, I appreciated the confusion and concern that Sam, her husband, had. He was charming and you could really tell that through all the trials of life, he truly loved her. While her reaction to him took some time to build up, I overall enjoyed the romantic aspects. Her friend group that she had since childhood is rare and the way they came together is what we all hope for in a friendship.

Overall this just wasn't it for me. I just really struggled to find Lucy realistic or relatable. There wasn't even a flare of nostalgia for me looking back to when I was 26. This is not because I had it all together...I did not! I actually found her circumstances very relatable...it was her reactions in regards to it all that I struggled with.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

The ending of The Good Part by Sophie Cousins is not as expected. A non-traditional twist that just might make you rethink the good part.

I was a little on the fence at the beginning of this book, but I ended up loving it! I loved the storyline. Lucy is in her twenties, struggling to make her mark in the TV industry. After making a wish at a wishing machine, she wakes up decades into her future. Lucy tries to navigate a family, friends, and an awe-inspiring career in TV! Very sweet and fun read.

[4.5 rounded to 5] The Good Part is a fun take on 13 Going on 30. Lucy Young is 26 and tired of everything from her job working for senior TV producers to her lack of a decent love life. One day she makes a wish on a wishing machine to fast forward to the good part of her life. She wakes up with a man next to her and two children, a 7-year-old named Felix and an 18-month-old, 16 years in the future. With her having no memory of how she arrived at this part in her life, readers follow Lucy as she discovers all the details of this new life while also figuring out her past.

The story starts off slower as it sets the foundation for Lucy’s pitfalls. Then it moves into a slower transition into her discovering her new life. While neither of these sections were boring, I found myself truly sucked into the story afterwards. This story relies on the characters to carry the novel and all of them were great. There are some happy moments and some sadder moments, but the story ultimately worked out well. I have only read one other novel by Cousens, so I am glad that I gave this one a try. I love the concept of fast-forwarding to your future just to see what it is like. This also provided the interesting conundrum of if you did fast-forward, would you want to stay there or would you want to go back to live those moments. Overall, this was a very enjoyable experience and I greatly look forward to reading more from Cousens in the future.

**I give a special thank you to Netgalley and the publisher, G.P. Putnam’s Sons, for the opportunity to read this enjoyable novel. The opinions expressed are completely my own.**

Sophie Cousens has done it again. Another gorgeously unique love story that is different from her previous books and from any other romance I’ve recently read. A bit of time travel and magical realism drives the plot, which is not new to romance novels but is new to Sophie Cousens. It works perfectly! I will read anything she writes and can’t wait to purchase a physical copy of THE GOOD PART for my collection. All the stars!

Thanks so much to the publisher and NetGalley for the eARC to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Lucy is twenty-five years old and feels as though she's in a rut with a crappy apartment that she shares with 3 other roommates, a job where she feels that she's at the bottom of the totem pole, and no love life. One night she comes across a wishing machine and makes a wish to skip to the good part of her life. She wakes up the next morning in the middle of her dream life (or so she thinks) having skipped 16 years ahead. What she finds and learns is so much more than she could have ever expected. The growth in this one was *chef's kiss.*

Wow! I loved this book so much! I went in expecting a lighthearted, quick, fun read, and it ended up being so much more than that! I don't think I was prepared for just how emotional this book would make me. I'm a huge fan of the movies Big and 13 Going on 30, so I ate this one up. There was even a nod to Voltar from Big that I picked up on!

I was so invested in this story, but it's hard to write a review for this without giving away anything, especially the future parts, and I believe it's best to go into this one blind. Just know that there are quite a few sad parts, but this was overall amazing! I will be reading all of Sophie Cousens's books!

Thank you to Netgalley and GP Putnam for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own. My review will be posted to my bookstagram on Wednesday, October 25.

"The Good Part" by Sophie Cousens is a delightful, heartwarming story filled with humor and heart. The characters are endearing, and the witty writing keeps you smiling throughout. It's a perfect choice for a feel-good read, offering a delightful escape into a world of charm and romance.

Oh this one is fun! If you’re around my age— this book may remind you of some fan favorites— 13 going on 30, Big, 17 again.. wishing to get to a certain part of your life and BOOM it happens!

Lucy was struggling and stumbled upon a wishing machine after a long night out.. and casts her wish to “get to the good part” of her life. She wakes up the next day 16 years older, in a strange house with a stranger in bed beside her.. who happens to be her husband. She quickly finds out she has 2 children, and has no recollection of getting married or having kids.

Her son quickly realizes that something is “off” with his mom and determines she is an alien 🤣 she tries to connect with her best friends and realizes that not everything there has stayed the same and some things she “missed” absolutely broke her heart.

Once I got into this one, I couldn’t put it down. I really enjoyed her husband, Sam, and all the grace he showed her as she went through this period of “forgetting.” He was just so understanding and sweet to her despite her struggles to catch up.

When she ultimately has to make her choice as to stay, and slowly remember.. vs track down the machine and hopefully return to her old life.. it pulled at my heart. A hard decision not knowing if her life would turn out the same. I definitely recommend this one- it was somehow my first by Cousens but won’t be my last!

Thanks NetGalley and publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

If you are like me and love books that whisk you off to your childhood and give you a huge taste of nostalgia, then this is the perfect book for you! It’s a twist on Big and 13 Going on 30. While it was mostly fun and cute, there were definitely harder things to work through. Just like with every life, Lucy wakes up one morning in her 40s and there were some revelations that are difficult. I have enjoyed all of Cousens’s books and this one was no exception!

Thanks to NetGalley and GP Putnam’s Sons for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Reminiscent of 13 Going on 30 meets BIG, this tells the story of 26-year-old Lucy Young who after a crappy day makes a wish to just get to the good part of life. The next morning, Lucy wakes up in her 42-year-old body. Did her wish really come true or is she suffering from amnesia? Don’t get me wrong, I love new adult fiction, but I think what made this book better than a strictly Big or 13GO30 retelling is the fact that Lucy gets transported to her early 40s with a career, swoon worthy husband, mom-bod, kids, and baggage. In spite of missing 16 years worth of memories, Lucy starts to acclimate and love her new life.

This was a very cute book, and I especially loved the relationship between Lucy and her skeptical son, Felix.

Many thanks to Putnam Books and NetGalley for the ARC!

By chance I read two back to back fantasy wish books. Both were good but in very different ways. Lucy Young (26) lives in London working a low level job in TV. After a terrible date she ends up in a tiny shop where she makes a wish on a wishing machine. She wishes to get to the good part of her life. I like that the book moves fairly quickly to that point as it is all revealed in the blurb. She wakes up the next day and is alarmed to realize that it is sixteen years later. She is married and has two children and seemingly her dream job but she has no memory of the years between.

I was concerned for her in the future as she has people relying on her at work and she has no idea what is going on. But where this works for me is catching up with her BFFs and learning how she met her husband. And her relationship with son Felix is adorable especially as he knows she has changed before anyone else believes. Also unlike my other book there is a genuine choice moment which I won’t elaborate about. I did like the little touches of science fiction type changes like holograms and such.

This is my third book by Cousens and they are all good general fiction with some romance. (Intimacy is closed.) The humor is subtle and this one touched my feelings. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group Putnam for the ARC and I am leaving a voluntary review.

Thank you @netgalley for the advanced copy of The Good Part, out November 7th!

What a great book - I would maybe put this under “Rom Com” but that’s not quite accurate. More like “Rom Self” as the main character, Lucy, ends up having to find herself and figure out what’s right for her.

Lucy is 26 years old and really in the grind - at a job that she likes but doesn’t feel appreciated, three roommates who don’t seem to know what boundaries are, an upstairs neighbor whose bathroom is leaking into her bedroom and nary an extra pound to spend. After a particularly tough night, Lucy finds herself at a bodega that has a wishing machine, where she asks “When do I get to the good part of my life?” And boom, the next day she wakes at 42 to find herself married with two kids and a seemingly great job. However, how did she get here? Yesterday she was 26!

This book was very cute because I found myself asking what I would do in this situation - being thrown into motherhood, marriage and not knowing a lick about the job you now have, how would you cope? Cousens puts all this together with a sense of humor and a realistic narrative on how this would play out. As Lucy learns, the “grass is always greener” scenario doesn’t come without some hidden gophers or weeds you have to dig out. The ups and downs seemed very “realistic” for a Magical Realism plot and I flew through it in about three days.